Vacheron Constantin Launches $32,000 Steel Watch Fans Begged For
The Historiques 222 was released in honor of the brand's 270th anniversary.
The Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 is 37mm and will set you back $32,000.
Photographer: Hannah Whitaker for Bloomberg Businessweek
Vacheron Constantin, one of the so-called holy trinity of Swiss watchmakers alongside Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, is making a splash for its 270th anniversary. Maybe 275 would be a more natural moment for a big to-do, but because the brand claims to be the oldest watchmaker in continuous production since its founding in 1755, every year is worth celebrating.
The past five years have brought major leaps for the Richemont Group-owned company; sales and average retail prices began climbing after the start of the pandemic. Vacheron, headquartered in Geneva, went from being the 14th-largest Swiss watchmaker by revenue in 2020 to 8th in 2023, according to Morgan Stanley/LuxeConsult, with an estimated 35,000 watches sold that year at an average price of 38,740 Swiss francs ($42,228).